Sounds Sensational - The Chorus And Percussion Of Keith Textor

It Might As Well Be Spring

Sounds Sensational
The Chorus And Percussion Of Keith Textor
Produced by Marty Gold
RCA LSA-2425
1962

I'd thought I'd find more instances of this album when I did a search online. It turns out to be somewhat obscure. I found another photo featuring a white version of the cover. Most of the Stereo Action covers where white. This one is blue. The constructed the same as all the others with the die-cut shape in the cover.

Link here for a sample of Textor's first Stereo Action album, Sounds Terrific. The formula is the same on this album, but the stereo mixing is much better.

The Greatest Guitar - Al Caiola

Chiribiribin

The Greatest Guitar
Al Caiola
Guest Star Records NG-1408

Here's another budget Guest Star LP featuring a snap shot of Caiola on the jacket which I found interesting due to the cheapness (the photo isn't a studio shot) and the fact that the photo is actually a pretty nice portrait of the guitarist (I haven't seen too many photos of Caiola).

The cover also sells the record as a Caiola album. However... as far as I can tell, Caiola isn't even heard playing on side one. This doesn't surprise me, because out of all the Guest Star albums I find, they usually only have enough material from the name artist to fill one side... but they usually mix the filler and "guest star" tracks up.

Now I'm listening to the B side and I'll be damned if I can tell if Caiola is heard playing on any track on this LP. Wait... I'm checking the label on the record... The label reads Italian Holiday! Oh... the wrong record is in the jacket... No... wait... the catalog numbers are the same... and the tracks all seem to be correct. Apparently Guest Star could only afford a snapshot of Caiola for the cover and that was it. I'm not kidding...

Enjoy a track by Bill Costa instead...  Caiola may have played on this track... but only as luck would have it.

Sensational Guitars Of Dan And Dale

Valley Of The Dolls

Sensational Guitars Of Dan And Dale
Diplomat DS 2441

Here's another Dan & Dale LP I stumbled across this week. As usual this one was a project that set out to appeal to mainstream audience, but really goes a step beyond what you might expect featuring unique and dreamy blend instrumental covers.

Sun Ra is noted to have been a member of the session group, however I can not confirm any group members for Dan & Dale LP other than the group's albums titled Batman and Robin (which is available online for purchase download and is credited to Sun Ra by other online sources). This LP does feature some spacey organ playing.

Other than the Batman album, other Dan & Dale entries are way more obscure. This one is unusual, as period budget easy listening goes, and is interesting all the way through.

Other Dan & Dale albums I've blogged include: Theme From Hawaii, Somewhere My Love and The Nearness Of You.

TV Jazz Themes - Skip Martin

Fallout

TV Jazz Themes
The Video All-Stars
Conducted By Skip Martin
Stereo Fidelity (Somerset)
Album SF-8800
1959

I was happy to find this album just for the fun cover (by George Pico). Somerset was a budget label that managed to release some pretty good stuff from time to time. This recording has to be one of the better Somerset LPs I've collected.

There are no credits on the cover, so I expected to hear a nameless session group doing the covers. But D. L. Miller thought enough of the project to list all of the musicians on the back cover as follows:

First Session: Gus Bivona, Paul Horn, Bob Copper, Red Mitchell, Jimmy Rowles, Gene Sherry, Pete Terry, Joe Triscari, Dick Nash, Frank Rosoling, George Roberts, Jimmy McGee, Joe Howard and Jules Jacob.

Second Session: Shelly Manne, Al Henderickson, Gus Bivona, Paul Horn, Red Mitchell, Bob Cooper, Pete Terry, Joe Triscari, Jules Jacob, Ray Linn, Gene Estes, Don Fagerquist, Jimmy Salko, Joe Howard, Dick Nash, Frank Rosolino, George Roberts, Larry Bunker, Jimmy Rowles, Vince Terri, Pete Candoli, Gene Sherry, Jimmy Mcgee, Conrad Gozzo, Frank Beach and Irv Cottler.

The April 20, 1959 Billboard mentions that the musicians appearing on this project as "top-flight".

Switched-On Bacharach - Christoper Scott

April Fools

Switched-On Bacharach
Christoper Scott
Electronic Music Productions, LTD.
Decca Records DL 75141
1969

Here's a sample from a fine moog recording. The vibe is simple and light pop, but, for my money plays through nicely. Apparently the LP met with enough success to allow Scott to make a follow-up album, More Switched-On Bacharach. This album was also apparently released on MFP with different cover art.

It's OK To Say No To Drugs

It's OK To Say No To Drugs
Kid Stuff
KKS 1035 LP
1986

Apparently this LP came with a cassette tape and a coloring book. All I found was the record with the jacket torn when the product was opened.

By way of a sample, I choose a track that points out that bad people don't always look "bad" therefore... don't trust anyone but your family. Frankly... I wouldn't trust them either and it's a good idea to obtain a concealed carry permit as soon as possible.

Enjoy...

The Now Sounds Of Today

Disco Movie - Patrick Nelson

Push And Shout - Lorenzo Jones

America The Beautiful

The Now Sounds Of Today
Columbine Records
CRH-115

When do rock, blues or disco songs sound unlike rock, blues or disco songs? When, for the most part, they are songs found on a song poem album. Vocalists are Kay Weaver and Ralph Lowe. Apparently Columbine didn't have enough submission to fill out the album so they threw in a few public domain tunes (America The Beautiful)

I highly recommend watching PBS Indies - Off The Charts: The Song-Poem Story if you find this music curious and want to know more about about the song-poem industry.

You can also search my blog for a few more samples.

Flick Themes '72

Diamonds Are Forever

Flick Themes '72
Pickwick SPC 3305

Budget covers that aren't weird or lame enough to get too excited over. Diamonds Are Forever featuring a solo vocal has a nice 70s vibe.